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First impressions, curb appeal, best foot forward: Your garage door does it all when it comes to the appearance of your home. That's especially true of suburban homes built in the last several decades. Designed for drive-right-in accessibility, many have in-your-face garages that occupy up to 30 percent of the front facade.

Small wonder that upgrading a garage door is a popular home improvement project. According to the Cost vs. Value Report from Remodeling magazine, a garage door replacement is the only project in the survey that recorded an uptick in value compared to the previous year.

Dazed and amusedIf you're ready to scout out styles and options for your new garage door, take a deep breath: There are so many choices you'll be seeing garage doors in your dreams for weeks. Wayne-Dalton, for example, boasts 12 design options, 10 window patterns, and 15 colors for its Model 9700 door alone. Let's do the math: That's a possible 1,800 combinations! Exhale!

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Technical rescueThankfully, many manufacturers are aware of option overload, and their websites are equipped with digital visualization tools that help you sort through possibilities with a click of the mouse.

Garage Door Designer from Overhead Door Corp. lets you choose a house style to play with as you decide garage styles and colors. For a more personal touch, you can upload a shot of your house and receive a phone consultation.

The Door Designer from Amarr Door is a simple program that uploads architectural renderings onto stock house designs. When you're done, e-mail the finished design to Amarr for a price quote tailored to your area.

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Back to the basics

Manufacturers have their proprietary techniques and methods for putting together garage doors, but the basics are these:

• Single-layer construction features a simple outer layer of steel, fiberglass, or engineered wood. The basic doors are lightweight, which is easy on springs, and low cost. Their insulating value is negligible.

• Double-layer construction has an inner and outer skin sandwiched around a layer of polystyrene board for rigidity, and an insulating value between R-4 and R-7.

• Premium construction has inner and outer layers of high-quality steel, wood or fiberglass sandwiched around a thick layer of polystyrene or polyurethane insulation for maximum stiffness and insulating values that exceed R-15.

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Types and flavors

Aluminum and glassAn escapee from the world of car washes, this modernist construction is essentially tempered, all-glass or acrylic panels set in anodized aluminum frames. Choices of frame finishes and glass types make for contemporary cool.

Most steel doors can be purchased with factory-applied finishes. Although color choices are somewhat limited, these doors are virtually maintenance-free. Also, steel can be ordered primed, or painted to match house colors.

Heads up: Steel can dent.

Insulating value: R-6 to R-17

Cost for a 16-by-7-foot double door: $750-$3,500.

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Photo by: Clopay

Clopay

All woodArchitectural purists, rejoice. All-wood garage doors made from moisture-resistant cedar, redwood and cypress give you bragging rights for the best-looking garage in the neighborhood.

Not as strong as steel nor as tough as fiberglass, wood still provides je ne sais quoi curb appeal like nothing else. Note, however, that even wood comes in various prices — and levels of quality. The best doors feature all-wood frames and panels.

FiberglassRapidly gaining market share, fiberglass doors are known for their resistance to moisture, insects, warping and changes in humidity. Thick outer skins of fiberglass surround an inner foam core and a steel framework that provides strength and stability.

Fiberglass excels at mimicking the colors and grain patterns of real woods such as cherry, oak and mahogany.

Heads up: Single-layer versions can be brittle.

Insulating value: R-4 to R-12

Cost for a 16-by-7-foot double door: $1,100-$1,800.

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Composite wood This sandwich-type construction features a strong, insulating core of polystyrene wrapped in composite wood: panels made from wood fibers and weatherproof resins. Many manufacturers use recycled wood fibers for the panels, providing a bit of green factor.

Molded with grain patterns, composite wood can be difficult to distinguish from the real thing. Unlike wood, however, composite doors won't split, crack or rot. Composite doors come factory finished, or can be custom stained or painted.

Heads up: Nearly as costly as real wood.

Insulating value: R-5 to R-8.

Cost for a 16-by-7-foot double door: $1,200-$2,200.

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DIY compositeTurn your old door into a carriage door look-alike with glue-on urethane and resin plank kits from companies such as Garage Door Refacing and GarageReface. These smaller companies may be localized, so check your Yellow Pages.

Unlike steel, vinyl is resistant to dings and errant baseballs; many types come with lifetime warranties. Despite their higher price, over the long run vinyl doors may be a more cost-effective option than steel.

Next Up

So, you’re ready to paint your front door. Whether it’s just a touchup with a favorite hue or an entirely new shade that will grace your entrance, take note of these helpful hints before you pick up your brush.

Windows are available in a variety of designs and sizes. There are differences in opening mechanisms and structure, as well as glass. Learn about replacing and renovating windows, as well as installing catches, shutters and glazing.